Knockdow box or crate



June l2, 1928. 1,673,324

w. E. GARDNER KNOCKDOWN BOXl OR CRATE Filed JunelO, 1924 'liti Patented June 12, 1928.

UNITED STATES A'PATENT OFFICE.

. INOCKDOWN BOX R CRATE.

Application sied :um 1o, 1924. smal No. 719,079.

The objectof my invention is to avoid the great money loss which occ-urs from the use of the ordinary shipping boxes or crates `which are of such construction that re-use for shipping purposes is notI economically possible, and. to that end my invention consists in a shipping box or crate so constructed that it may be returned to the shipper 1n a. flat or knock down condition so that the freight or shi ping cost will be so low as to make repente use of the same box or crate desirable or advantageous. In making my invention I have had in View the utilization of standard or stock materials Which 1neans l5 a great reducton in costcompared with the use of parts that require specially to be made, and while I have had in view the easy and rapid assemblage of' the parts for serving as a goods container and the easy and 2PC quick dismantling thereof I have also had in view a construction which will make :the box or crate when in its goodscontaining form of all required rigidity and strength to withstand the rough usage' of freight han- 25 dling. I have also had in view a construction which will lend itself readily to the nso ol a seal.

My invention consists in 'Whatever is described by or is included Within the terms or scope et the appended claires..

ln the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective View of a shipping box embodying roy invention in its goodscontaining,r form;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing portions of the box separated;

Fig. 3 is a detail view in section at one of the corners o the box. n

The top, bottom, side and end Walls or the bon may he oi Wood sheet metal or other materiel and it wood each vrall moy formed oit several strips or pieces joined together perinenently or several pieces that have no 4connection with one anothery but. which are held in proper position when the bon is roede up or assembled. ln the draw ings said Wells, ll), are shown as inode of strips or pieces ot wood joined together in a square or rectangular forni.

The several entails are held in an assembled relation to donn a cubical box by a metal framework which consists ot iron or steel ang-les, ll, one for each ot the corners of the bonl :so that there are twelve such angles all being oi Alike length and other dimensions till and each angle near each end having in each flange a hole, l2, so that when the angles are assembled with the adjacent ends of three overlappingr the holes, 12, of the contiguous flanges will register or aline with one another and with the corresponding ones at the opposite corner on the same side of the box so that through the alining or registering holes a rod or bar, 13, may be passed from side to side of the box, the rod or bar 35 being sufiiciently long so that its ends protrude on the outside of the angles., and such ends being `threaded they will receive the clamping mit, 14. lf desirable the rods, 13, at one end may have a head so that a nui: will only be required at one end of each rod. The rods are vsufficiently spaced `from the inner surfaces of the angles to allow the pleo ing of the box Walls, 10, between the rods and the adjacent flanges and thus the Walls, l0, Will be confined in place. It will be understood that the angles and Walls are assembled in such order that the building up of the box proceeds progressively.

As shown in Fig. 1 the seal Wire, 15, may be threaded through the holes of the overu .topping angles and it may be passed through e hole in a rod, i3, which will be above the not when the latter is screwed tight so that it will serve as a nut look, but @l it desired 'the seal wire may be passed around the rod between the nut and the angle hangs.

It will be understood that when the box is in a knock-down condition the Walls, 10, may be placed one upon another and the angles nested together and the rods laid parallel with one another and with the angles, the angles and rods being held tofrether in a compact arrangement by wires and they 'and the Walls being suitably secured toge'ther so that durin reshipment they will not become separated When the size of tho box or crate requires it, rods or bars similar to those at the corners may he employed at intermediate 10o points, the angle flanges being provided with holes -tor their passage therethrough.

Since the rods pass one another the holes in the angle flanges must be arranged to permit this. To enable this to be done with- 105 ont requiring1 the displacement of the holes themselves, they may be suiciently larger than the diameter oil the rods to allow the necessary side displacement of the rods, and the nuts, o coarse, will, be suliiciently large 11o to overlap the flanges ut the sides of the holes.

What I claim is:

1. A shipping box or crate of cubical form comprising walls and a. supporting frame, walls and frame being readily sepa.- rable from one another, and walls `1nd frame-members adapted to be put together in a knock down condition, said frame being composed of a plurality of similar angles liavinfy perforations near each end through` both iianges of the angles and bars having portions to pass through alining perforations and means to hold the angles and bars in assembled wall su porting position there being an angle at eac i corner of the crate.

2. A shipping box or crate of cubioal form comprisino walls and a supporting frame, Walls amr frame bein readily separable from one another, an Walls and framemembers adapted to be ut together in a knock down condition, sai frame being composed of a plurality of similar angles having perforations, near each end through both flanges of the angles and bars having portions to pass through alining perforations and means to hold the angles and bars in assembled Wall supporting position there beingb an angle at each corner of the crate, said ars being spaced from the inner sides of the angles and the walls entering the spaces between the bars and the angle iianges.

3. A shipping box or crate comprising lfounside Walls and top and bottom Walls of substantially the same dimensions und a. supporting frame composed of a plurality of similar angles of substantially the same length and corresponding in number with all the corners of the box and reaching from top to bottom and from side to side of the box and within the flanges of which angles all said walls are placed and said walls and. angles being readily separable and said angles havin near each end perforation?. through bot i fianges of the angles and bars having portions that pass through alining angle perforations to the exterior of the angles and threaded on their projecting portions and removable nuts on the threaded portions outside the angles.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aix my signature.

WILLIAM E. GARDNER. 

